Women’s tour, terrible fall for Elisa Longo Borghini: she ends up in an escarpment, then starts again

The fifth stage of the Women’s Tour had a dramatic epilogue, fortunately without serious consequences for the athletes involved, all in the Piedmont area, from Salassa to Ceres. While they were engaged in the last descent of the day, that of Sant’Ignazio, while they were in pursuit of the German Antonia Niedermaier, the pink jersey Annemiek Van Vleuten and the second of the general Elisa Longo Borghini they fell.

The Dutchman left almost immediately. The tricolor champion instead ended up going straight into a bend taken at high speed and the vigorous braking was useless: the rear wheel, locked, skidded on the asphalt. Longo Borghini ended up against a mound of earth and then into the ditch below. His fall was luckily stopped by a tree. The blue was rescued but it took several minutes to get back on the saddle.

Van Vleuten crossed in second position just 9 seconds behind the winner Antonia Niedermaier, while Elisa Longo Borghini paid a very heavy price, reaching the finish line after more than 7 and a half minutes, escorted by her teammate Van Anrooij. The 31-year-old from Ornavasso, winner of Monday’s stage in Borgo Val di Taro, had obvious marks on her right shoulder and also a cut on her face. But she appeared to be smiling as she crossed the finish line. Her chances of winning the Giro are in smoke. But that is certainly not the most important thing about her unfortunate afternoon.